The Rotary Club of Lekki Golden has renovated and furnished a junior secondary classroom at Badore Community Primary School in Eti-Osa, Lagos State, and donated 2,300 exercise books to pupils and students of Ilasan Secondary School in Ikate, Lekki. The initiative combined improvements to school facilities with supplies and learning activities intended to support children in and beyond the classroom.
The projects were unveiled on Friday, September 25, as part of activities marking Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy Month, according to reports by The Guardian and PUNCH.
Renovation Targets a Better Learning Environment
The classroom project received a ₦2 million grant from Rotary International District 9112, alongside ₦567,500 contributed by Akinlabi Akintayo, the club’s immediate past service projects chair. Akintayo also carried out the construction work.
The renovation addressed several parts of the classroom that needed attention. These improvements give teachers a more organised space and pupils furniture suited to everyday classroom activities. Workers installed an approximately 84-square-metre grooved PVC ceiling, repaired and repainted seven metal doors and windows, repaired cracked walls and repainted the room. New desks and benches were supplied for pupils, while tables and chairs were provided for the teachers’ office.
The aim is for the improvement to serve successive groups of pupils, rather than only those currently attending the school. Rotary Club of Lekki Golden President Abiodun Olawale-Cole said the renovated room would be available to future JSS 1 classes at Badore. His remarks, reported by PUNCH, emphasised the importance of providing children with a safe classroom and materials they can use to learn.
The project’s funding and practical work involved support from both the district and individual club members. The contribution from Akintayo covered more than financial assistance, as he was also responsible for executing the renovation.
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Books, School Supplies and Lessons for Pupils
Alongside the classroom upgrade, the club arranged the donation of 2,300 exercise books to pupils and students at Ilasan Secondary School, which hosts its Interact Club. Onward Paper Mill Ltd sponsored the learning materials, while the Rotary Club provided 1,000 biros and 120 Oxford mathematical sets.
The programme also included activities designed to build skills and habits that can support children as they grow. Representatives from IGI Insurance and GTI Group led sessions on financial literacy, introducing pupils to saving, investment and insurance. Other sessions addressed character development and personal hygiene, and organisers introduced a reading plan, with follow-up activities planned to help sustain pupils’ interest.
The Guardian reported that about 50 pupils took part in the literacy activities and that food and drinks were provided for participants. The club’s administrator, Chidera Okafor, is also sponsoring a full year of school uniforms for a new pupil at Badore whose family could not afford them.
These efforts address different parts of the school experience. Exercise books and writing materials give pupils tools for classroom work, while furniture and repairs can make the physical setting more suitable for learning. The financial literacy and reading sessions add opportunities to practise skills outside regular lessons.
The club said it would work with the school to monitor attendance and how the renovated facilities are being used each term. It is also considering a larger grant to improve other classrooms at Badore that still need ceilings and furniture, with further discussions expected with Onward Paper Mill and other potential sponsors.
Back Story: Rotary’s Education and Literacy Work
The Lagos intervention was organised during Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy Month, an annual period that places attention on access to education and reading. Education and literacy are also among Rotary International’s official areas of focus. The organisation says its work includes supporting schools, improving literacy and helping communities expand educational opportunities for children and adults, as outlined on its education support page.
In Badore and Ikate, the club’s programme brought together classroom repairs, writing materials, school-uniform support and learning sessions. Its longer-term value will depend on whether the facilities are maintained and the planned follow-up activities continue. The club’s commitment to monitor attendance and use of the classroom offers one way to assess how the intervention serves pupils over time.
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